Jewelry

The following study, while not exhaustive, should illustrate the spectrum of experience and teaching found in the scripture concerning jewelry:

1) When Abraham's servant Eliezar went to get a wife for Isaac, he gave Rebekah Abraham's dowry gifts of a gold nose ring and two gold bracelets, and then he gave her more articles of silver and gold. These were also considered "good things" (Genesis 24:10, 22, 30, 47, 53).

2) Jacob commanded his family to put away foreign gods and earrings (Genesis 35:1-4). It appears that these specific earrings were talismans associated with idolatry (notice that other jewelry is not mentioned).

3) Jacob's son Judah had a signet ring (Genesis 38:18-26). This is the first biblical reference to men wearing jewelry.

4) Joseph was given a signet ring, fine garments of linen, and a gold necklace by Pharaoh when Pharaoh made him the equivalent of "grand vizier" over Egypt (Genesis 41:39-45). This jewelry symbolized power and authority.

5) God told the Israelites to plunder the Egyptians at the time of the Exodus by taking articles of gold and silver and clothing from them. The Israelites were instructed by God to put these items on their sons and daughters (Exodus 3:22; 11:2; 12:35-36).

6) The high priest of Israel wore gold and jewels on his official priestly robes (Exodus 28:15-43).

7) After Israel had committed idolatry at Mt. Sinai, God told them to take off their ornaments "that I may know what to do with you." They consequently stripped themselves of their ornaments (Exodus 33:5-6). This was a sign of repentance and mourning for their idolatry (compare Ezekiel 26:16-17); it did not mean, however, that they were repenting of wearing jewelry.

8) The Israelites gave their gold jewelry (brooches, earrings [or, nose rings], signet rings, bracelets), much of which they had taken from the Egyptians, for the construction of the tabernacle. Everyone gave what they could of silver and bronze/copper. The rulers donated the onyx stones (Exodus 35:4-29).

9) Gideon gathered earrings from the spoil of war and made an ephod, which later became an idolatrous object (Judges 8:24-26).

10) King Saul wore a crown and a bracelet when he died (2 Samuel 1:10).

11) When David mourned Saul's death, he stated that Saul had clothed the daughters of Israel luxuriously in scarlet and had put gold ornaments on their apparel (2 Samuel 1:24).

12) The Queen of Sheba gave many gifts to King Solomon, including precious stones.

13) King Hezekiah made treasuries for his gold, silver, and precious stones (2 Chronicles 32:37). These materials were not melted down and given away for another worthy cause; rather, they were for personal use and for gifts to others.

14) King Ahasuerus of Persia gave Mordecai, Esther's cousin, a signet ring as a symbol of authority (Esther 8:2).

15) A father's instruction and a mother's teaching are compared to a wreath on one's head and necklaces around one's neck (Proverbs 1:8-9).

16) A wise reprover to a listening ear is compared to an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold (Proverbs 25:12).

17) Beads, jewels, and ornaments are referred to in the context of an erotic love song (Song of Solomon 1:10-11; 5:14-15; 7:1).

18) God states that he will cause the beauty of the daughters of Zion to be taken away because of their pride. Their beauty includes: anklets, headbands, crescent ornaments, dangling earrings, bracelets, veils, headdresses, ankle chains, sashes, perfume boxes, amulets, finger rings, nose rings, festal robes, outer tunics, cloaks, money purses, hand mirrors, undergarments, turbans, and veils (Isaiah 3:16-23).

19) The return of the sons of Israel during its restoration is compared to the wearing of ornaments, even as a bride puts on her jewels (Isaiah 49:18).
20) Zion is personified speaking about how God has arrayed her "as a bride adorns herself with her jewels" (Isaiah 61:10).

21) God describes his love for Jerusalem by stating that at the "age for adornment, I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on your hands, and a necklace around your neck. I also put a ring in your nostril, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, [and] you were exceedingly beautiful and advanced to royalty. Then your fame went forth among the nations on account of your beauty, for it was perfect because of My splendor which I bestowed on you." However, Jerusalem took the gold and silver "beautiful articles of beauty" and made idols out of them (Ezekiel 16:7, 11-14, 17).

22) Lucifer, symbolized by the king or prince of Tyre, is described as wearing "every precious stone" after he was created and before his sin against God (Ezekiel 28:11-19).

23) Israel is compared to a woman who bathes herself, paints her eyes, puts on her jewelry and seeks to attract lovers, instead of remaining in a relationship with the Lord (Ezekiel 23:40-45).

24) King Belshazzar of Babylon gave Daniel the prophet a purple robe and a gold necklace when he made him the 3rd ruler of the kingdom (Daniel 5:7, 16, 29).

25) Israel is personified as a woman who decks herself with rings and jewelry and worship Baals; she goes after her lovers but forgets the Lord (Hosea 2:13).

26) The parable of the woman who lost one silver coin out of ten, causing her to light a lamp, sweep the house, and search for it, describes a woman wearing 10 silver coins on her forehead as a dowry. This is why she is so urgent to find that piece of jewelry (Luke 15:8-10).

27) The father of the "prodigal son" places a ring on his son's finger in an act of love and acceptance (Luke 15:22).

28) Paul states that he does not want women to wear "broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array" (1 Timothy 2:9). Notice that the list includes more than jewelry. This text is not speaking against wearing jewelry per se; rather, it speaks against elaborate, extravagant displays by women who were involved in a divisive church setting. Men were included in this, too, and they are spoken to in the previous verse (they are to pray rather than create wrath and dissension). "Likewise," the women were creating wrath and dissension through their ostentatious display, which was a symbol of their power and authority. Only the wealthy could dress in this way, and in that culture itinerant preachers and philosophers had the wealthy as their patrons. Here we see a picture of women displaying their wealth and thus their power to support the false teachers mentioned in the letter (1:4-7; 4:1-16). Instead of focusing on display and symbols of power, they were to focus on doing good works for others. Thus in this context, to dress modestly does not mean to avoid any ornamentation; rather, it meant to avoid extravagant, time-consuming displays which even non-Christians condemned.

29) Peter warns that adornment should not include "plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel" (1 Peter 3:1-4). Again, notice the list. Each item in the list must be something that even non-Christian husbands disdained, for Peter hopes that the men may be "won over" by the behavior of the wives. The problem here did not revolve so much around power and authority as around morality. The female participants of the feast of the goddess Artemis dressed in purple chitons, their hair elaborately braided with gold and jewels. They presented themselves as erotically attractive, and male observers of these spectacles concluded that these women were immoral. Peter is warning the Christian women against this specific type of behavior and its negative associations. They were to avoid the "appearance of evil."

30) The 24 elders in heaven wear golden crowns (Revelation 4:4).

31) The prostitute in the book of Revelation who has murdered God's people is adorned or gilded with "gold and precious stones and pearls" (Revelation 17:4).

32) The New Jerusalem is described as a bride "adorned for her husband" (Revelation 21:2). The foundations walls are "adorned with every kind of precious stone." The twelve gates are twelve pearls (Revelation 21:19-21). Thus, the New Jerusalem is compared to the bride who typically wore a necklace of precious stones, pearls, etc.
33) Aaron had the Israelites make a golden calf out of the gold earrings which the Israelite men and women were wearing (Exodus 32:2-4).

Conclusion
From this survey we can conclude the following:

there was never a total ban on jewelry in biblical times;
there are positive, neutral, and negative associations attached to jewelry in the Bible;
it was common, normal, and accepted for people to wear jewelry;
all brides were adorned with jewels and ornaments for their wedding; wives always adorned themselves for their husbands, and Israel adorned itself for God;
in differing contexts jewelry symbolized wealth, power, authority, identity and status;
many times God looked with favor upon jewelry, and He sometimes instructed His people to wear jewelry;
the most holy leaders, the high priests, wore jewelry, and the most sacred building, the tabernacle/temple, was decorated with precious metals;
jewelry was often given as an offering to God;
pride could turn jewelry into objects of self-glorification and vanity;
jewelry was used in idolatrous practices;
in the culture and time of the New Testament, jewelry was sometimes associated with and symptomatic of Christian community dysfunctionality, power struggles, heresy, and immorality;
although lavish adornment was proscribed in New Testament society, the New Testament did not condemn gold, silver, and/or jewels as sinful.

From this we can conclude that there is nothing intrinsically wrong with wearing jewelry, even as there is nothing intrinsically wrong with adorning our homes with decorations or landscaping our gardens with beautiful flowers. Where the problem of sin occurs is in the attitude (mind, "heart") preceding or attached to behavior. Jesus Christ clearly pointed out that the deeper problem was not the actions or behaviors per se, but the "heart" or mind or attitude (see Matthew 5:21-32; 15:1-20). Is the attitude pride, vanity, rebellion, or contempt for the feelings and beliefs of others? If so, it does not matter how "right" or "biblical" the behavior is, sin is at the heart of the matter.